"Thank Yous" for letter writers?

[carolineSLP]

Hello everyone!

 

I was just wondering what everyone was doing regarding thanking your professors/supervisors for providing you with letters of recommendation for grad schools? A simple card and/or small gift? Any suggestions?

 

Also, when is the best time to give it to them? Right after they've submitted or after you've been (hopefully!) accepted? I had my first prof submit all my letters today even though my first application isn't due until January.

 

[fuzzylogician]

I emailed to say thank you after they submitted their letters and again to let them know how things turned out and to thank them again for their help. Never gave anyone gifts, but I did send them a card for the new year, since it was around the time the letters were due. I also try to keep in touch with them all roughly once a year if I don't see them at conferences. I just sent them all my dissertation with another thank you email a few weeks ago. I think they all appreciate the periodic updates and don't expect anything more. 

[surefire]

Hello everyone!

 

I was just wondering what everyone was doing regarding thanking your professors/supervisors for providing you with letters of recommendation for grad schools? A simple card and/or small gift? Any suggestions?

 

Also, when is the best time to give it to them? Right after they've submitted or after you've been (hopefully!) accepted? I had my first prof submit all my letters today even though my first application isn't due until January.

 

First of all: good for you! This is a good thing to do.

Second: there are LOTS of threads on this if you're looking for a variety of responses (I suggest that partly because everyone is in the "GET LORs" part of the application season, the "THANK LOR WRITERS" notion usually doesn't kick-in wholesale on the GC for a few months!)

 

FWIW: some people I know gave gifts from the PhD comic store: http://www.phdcomics.com/store/mojostore.php

 

For myself: I send a hand-written note and a mug from the institution that I chose to attend (so, obviously, I sent it after acceptances; I think this is easier, because letter writers DO want to know the outcome, so it's easier to issue the "thanks" and the "update: this is where I'm going!" at the same time!).

 

Good luck!

[biisis]

A card and a really nice bar of chocolate, right after the last letter was submitted. I got nice thank-yous back!